Buck or doe?

[catman529]

well I think I fixed the problem with my Moultrie night time pics. This is the only one I got but the flash worked correctly.

I put the camera by a fence crossing 2 houses up from my own backyard, yesterday afternoon. It took this one pic last night. The scrape was somewhat covered in leaves, so I thought it had gone dry, but apparently the deer are still using it or at least the licking branch. There is a good rub on the tree behind the deer.

My questions are -

1- will does use a licking branch
2- will button bucks use a licking branch
3- or do you think it's a shed buck?

I am going with button buck because I know there is a button that uses the area. And body shape and size suggests a very young deer. Saw a button and shot one of his female buddies on the second last day of deer season. I didn't know if buttons or does would use a licking branch though, but I don't see why not.

 

[bowhunter163]

I have several pictures of does and buttons working a scrape and licking branch from this year .

 

[easy45]

The answers to question 1 and 2 is yes, as far as number 3, I honestly can't tell

 

[BSK]

All deer use licking branches all year round. The scrape underneath is only a rut-season addition. In essence, the location of licking branches determines where scrapes will occur during the rut.

 

[catman529]

Thank you. Wonder if bucks are using the trail right now. Rarely see any in the back yard but who knows what's out at night

 

[Solo Hunter]

I think a doe. Tarsal glands are not stained.

 

[Woodson223]

It's a buck not fat enough to be a doe

 

[BSK]

I think a doe. Tarsal glands are not stained.

Some does stain their tarsals, and even bucks that heavily stained their tarsals during the rut this last year may have completely clean tarsals by this late into winter.

 

[Good time Charlie]

I am thinking it is a buck

 

[Outdoor life]

I'm gonna say buck as well. If not, it's a very lean doe.

 

[catman529]

Yep it's probably the button buck I almost shot in my backyard at the end of the season. Ended up shooting its female sibling or friend.

 

[BSK]

For some strange reason, and I suspect it has something to do the learning process, during the rut, button bucks are absolutely fascinated with scrapes. On trail-camera, I will get pictures of the same button buck coming to the same scrape over and over and over, sometimes multiple times per day and staying for long periods of time each visit (up to an hour). I don't know exactly what they are learning, but they literally seem to not be able to leave these scrapes alone.